Introduction
A significant amount of binge drinking among adults escapes public health scrutiny
because it occurs among individuals who drink at a moderate average level. This observational
study examined the role of a binge pattern of drinking in predicting alcohol problems
among moderate drinkers in a U.S. national sample of adults.
Methods
Participants were 1,229 current drinkers aged ≥30 years from 2 waves of the study
of Midlife Development in the United States, with a 9-year time lag (2004–2015) (analyzed
in 2021‒2022). Negative binomial regression analyses were used to examine the number
of alcohol problems, and binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine
multiple (≥2) alcohol problems.
Results
Independent of the average level of drinking, binge drinking was linked with an almost
3 times increase in the number of concurrent alcohol problems and a 40% increase in
the number of alcohol problems prospectively 9 years later. Moderate average level
drinkers accounted for most cases of binge drinking and multiple alcohol problems.
Among moderate drinkers, binge drinking was linked with a close to 5 times increase
in concurrent multiple alcohol problems and a >2 times increase in multiple alcohol
problems prospectively 9 years later.
Conclusions
These results substantially broaden an increasing recognition that binge drinking
is a public health concern among adults. Moderate average-level drinkers should be
included in efforts to reduce alcohol problems in adults. These findings are applicable
to primary and secondary prevention of alcohol problems with the potential to advance
population health.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: June 09, 2022
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofIdentification
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© 2022 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
